Sleeping Beauty
by melia
Summary: Rory gets mono. Chapter 6 is here (finally)!
1. Friday

Chapter 1: Friday

Rory began identifying sounds before she was fully conscious. There was a twittering sound, almost like birds, but it seemed harsher and less happy. The next sound was a knocking that seemed to originate somewhere near her head. Now a smell joined the sounds. It was abrasive and hit the back of her throat when she inhaled. As Rory shifted, the twittering noise erupted again. Finally came an easily identifiable sound – a male voice calling her name.

"Rory. Is my lecture that boring?"

Groggily, Rory opened her eyes and struggled to focus on her surroundings. Her forehead was resting on her arms, and underneath those was… a desk. So the smell must have been the Comet cleaner that the janitor used to scrub the graffiti off the desks. But, if this was a desk that she was sleeping on…

Rory suddenly felt very aware of her surroundings. She slowly brought her head up to look into the slightly laughing eyes of Max Medina.

"Mr. Medina… I am so sorry, I don't know…" Rory's brow creased as she tried to remember why she had fallen asleep during Mr. Medina's notes on Beowulf. But Max was waving her apology off.

"Just don't let it happen again, ok?" Rory nodded, then rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as Mr. Medina walked back to the front of the classroom and resumed his lecture. Paris turned around and shot Rory a look that clearly expressed her disbelief at the fact that Rory Gilmore had been sleeping in class. Rory widened her eyes and shrugged, equally mystified.

-----

"Mom?" Rory yelled as she entered the house.

"Bedroom!" came the response. Rory dropped her backpack onto the couch on her way to her mom's upstairs room.

"Mom, I think something might be wrong with me." Rory's tone was only half-joking. "I fell asleep in Mr. Medina's class today!"

Lorelai winced. "Out of all your classes, you had to conk out in his?"

"Well, he didn't give me a detention. Probably any other teacher would have, so it's a good thing that it was English and not Math or Society class. But the point is, I fell asleep in class! And we were talking about Beowulf, which I absolutely love. And to top it all off, I almost fell asleep on the bus ride home, too! And I feel tired right now. I don't think this is normal."

Lorelai studied her daughter. Over the past two weeks, Rory had seemed listless and not as energetic as usual. She tried to mask her concern, though. "You're just sick of school. And, face it, life has been a bit crazy lately. You just need some coffee."

Not even the promise of caffeine could snap Rory out of her funk. "Yeah, that's probably it. Let's go to Luke's." Mother and daughter traipsed down the stairs and walked to their favourite diner.

"Ror, you grab a table, and I'll order. Do you want anything in particular?"

"No, just a coffee."

Lorelai frowned as she made her way to the counter. "Luke, I need two coffees and some advice."

Luke looked up from the counter he was wiping down. "Do I look like Dr. Laura to you?"

"Nope. But it's a funny mental picture."

"Then, how about, I'll give you the coffee, and you ask the good doctor for advice."

"Well, that's a great plan, Watson, except for one teeny detail. Dr. Laura can't see Rory, nor does she know what Rory is usually like."

"So, this advice is about Rory?"

"Brilliant deduction. Look at her." Lorelai shifted to the right to give Luke an unobstructed view of Rory. The teen was sitting at her and Lorelai's normal table with her chin cupped in her hand. Her eyes were closed. "Now, does that look like the Rory you know and love?"

"Brown hair, at your table? Yep, I'd say that's her."

"No, Luke, look again. Isn't something missing?"  
"Nose, mouth, eyes, ears… Or are you talking about your brain?"

"Funny man. No, I'm talking about energy. Vivaciousness. That Rory sparkley life thing. I mean, she's not even moving. I don't think Ghandi was ever that still. Not to mention, in the past few weeks she's been quiet and it's hard to get her attention… she even fell asleep in class today!"

"Well, at least she goes to school. Some teens don't. And really, who hasn't fallen asleep in class?"  
"This is Rory we're talking about. Rory doesn't sleep in class. Especially not in English class." 

Luke was beginning to see how serious Lorelai was. "It's probably just some teenaged growth spurt, mood swing phase. It'll pass."

"I never had a phase like that!"

"Yeah, well, need I remind you, you're teenage years were less than normal."

"Point taken. But really, Luke, it's scary. It's like aliens have replaced my daughter with a slower, less fun clone!"

"Lorelai, I'm fairly sure that if aliens had come to Stars Hollow, they would have seen Taylor or Kirk, or a porcelain unicorn, and they would have run away as fast as their spaceship could carry them."

"But, what if the switcheroo took place in Chilton? Huh? What about that?"

Luke rolled his eyes in exasperation. "I can't believe I'm actually having this conversation. Look, I'll give you guys your coffee, Rory will perk up, and if I see little green men, I know which direction to point them in." Luke smiled slightly, trying to cheer Lorelai up, but she didn't see it. She was looking worriedly at Rory.

"Yeah, thanks, Luke. Um, could we have those coffees to go? I think I'm going to take Rory home. Maybe she just needs to sleep."

"Good plan." Luke poured the coffees and snapped lids on the cups. "I'll see you guys for breakfast?"

Lorelai grinned at Luke as she took the coffees. "Oh, you know it." She went to the table where Rory was sleeping. She set one of the coffees down on the table and kneeled beside Rory's chair. Smoothing back her daughter's hair, she whispered something that Luke couldn't hear. He was so focused on the women that he didn't notice Jess, who had just come downstairs.

"You know, if we were in Armenia you'd have to marry Lorelai for looking at her like that."

Luke jumped. "Jeez, Jess, don't sneak up on me like that. And I wasn't looking at Lorelai 'like that'. I was just… Oh nevermind. Look, bring those plates," he said to his nephew, pointing at three platters of food, "to table four."

Jess did as he was told without comment, but he smirked silently as he walked away from his uncle. Luke turned back to look at Lorelai and Rory again, but they were gone.

The walk in the fresh air, combined with the coffee, woke Rory up slightly, but Lorelai called her parents to explain that they wouldn't be able to make it for dinner. When she explained that Rory wasn't feeling well, her father told her that it was fine that they missed a week, if it meant a speedier recovery for his granddaughter. It was a good thing that they cancelled, because by seven that night, Rory was tired again. She barely had the energy to put on her pyjamas and brush her teeth before she fell into bed. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.


	2. Saturday

Chapter 2: Saturday

When she woke up, her room was bright, but not early-morning bright. It didn't make sense, since her clock told her that it was half an hour past midnight. Rory would have rolled over and gone back to sleep, but her bladder protested and vetoed that idea. Resignedly, she threw back her covers and got up. When she opened her door, sunlight washed over her. Her eyes slammed shut and she grunted.

"Oh, good morning, Sleeping Beauty. I wondered if you were ever going to come out of there."

Cautiously, Rory opened her eyes. Lorelai was sitting at the kitchen table fully dressed, drinking a coffee and reading the Stars Hollow Gazette.

"Mom? Why are you awake?" Rory's brain still wasn't functioning completely.

"Well, it's 12:30 on Saturday afternoon. Why wouldn't I be awake?"

Rory tried to do the math in her head. "So, I've been asleep for…"

"17 hours, give or take."

"Oh. So, why am I still tired?

"Maybe you got too much sleep and now you have sleepitis!"

"Ha ha." Rory was finally almost awake, but she didn't feel too energetic. "Mom, did we have any plans for the day? Because I just don't feel like doing anything."

Lorelai looked at her daughter in concern. "Yeah, we can stay home. We'll order in and hang out. Just the two of us. It'll be fun!"

Rory shot her mom a look of gratitude. "Thanks." There was a pause as the two Gilmore girls looked at each other. "Well, I have to pee, so…"

Lorelai waved a hand in the general direction of the bathroom. "Your throne awaits you, your highness." She stood and grabbed her purse as Rory walked out of the kitchen. "I'm going to Luke's. I'll stock up on unhealthy things and be back in half an hour."

"Ok!" came the response from the bathroom.

-----

True to her word, Lorelai returned in half an hour. Actually it had taken 32 minutes, but she wasn't about to be ruled by a technicality. She began talking to her daughter as soon as she entered the house. "Hey, Rory, guess what Luke did? No, wait, just let me tell you. It's so random that if you actually had to guess, we'd both be in wheelchairs by the time the answer came out, and I'd have forgotten the punch line… anyway, Luke sent you a thermos of chicken soup! He kept muttering about keeping the sane one healthy so that he wouldn't lose his mind. I think he may have actually plucked the chicken while I was at the counter. Isn't that funny? Rory?" The house was too quiet. "Rory, I thought we stopped playing hide and seek after the frostbite incident. I mean it; show yourself!" Lorelai set the large box of food that she had been carrying on the kitchen counter and made a beeline for Rory's room. It looked like Rory hadn't been back after her trip to the bathroom. The blinds were still down, the bed was messy, and Rory's Hello Kitty pyjamas were nowhere in sight. So, the next logical place to check was the bathroom. Lorelai knocked and rattled the handle before opening the door. It opened about five inches before it hit something that refused to budge. Lorelai pushed against the offending object until it suddenly gave way. With an 'oof', Lorelai fell against the vanity counter. Looking down, she saw what had blocked her entrance. Rory lay curled up on the floor of the bathroom with a roll of toilet paper under her head. Her legs, now curled up snugly against her body, had presumably been stretched out earlier, effectively preventing the door from opening all the way.

"Ok, this is just way too weird. Rory." Lorelai crouched down beside her daughter and began pulling at her shoulders, trying to wake her up. "Come on, Rory. You have to get up; I can't carry you to your room." As Rory's eyes opened, Lorelai smiled brightly at her. "What have I told you about squeezing the Charmin?"

"Not s'posed to," came the bleary response. "Sorry. Fell asleep."

"So I guessed. Well, I'm willing to bet that your bed is more comfortable than these tiles, so let's get you back there, shall we?" Lorelai looped her arm under Rory's shoulders and heaved her up into a sitting position. "Wow, you've gotten heavier since the last time I tried to carry you. Granted, you were 5 then, but still. You're definitely going to have to get to your room under your own power. Come on, lean on me." Lorelai helped Rory to her feet, and hummed the classic song on their way to the bedroom. She started singing when she reached the chorus. "So call on me brother, if you need a hand, we all need somebody to lean on…" Luckily for Rory, the trip didn't last long enough for Lorelai to begin the second verse. Rory flopped onto her mattress and Lorelai straightened out the blankets and covered her daughter with them. Smoothing back her daughter's bangs, she proposed a plan. "So, you go back to sleep and we'll eat when you wake up again, ok?" But her words fell on deaf ears. Rory was fast asleep.

-----

When Rory awoke again, she identified smells before her eyes were open.

"Chicken soup?" she inquired as she opened her eyes and turned her head towards the scent.

"Yeah, long story. Luke sent it." Lorelai replied as she moved over to Rory's bed from the inflatable chair where she had been sitting. "How do you feel?"

"A bit better. I'm not tired, at least."

"Well, that's good, because in the past 24 hours, you've slept for 21."

"What?! That's not possible! I have to get up! I have homework and reading…" Rory threw back the covers and got out of bed in a whirl of motion. Quickly, though, she plunked back down and held a hand to her head. "Whoa. Dizzy."

"Well, yeah. With all your sleeping, you haven't really had much time to eat. Which is why," Lorelai continued as she moved into the kitchen, "I've been reheating this soup. Because I figured you might be hungry when you woke up. And you are! So stay in your room; you're having breakfast, lunch, and supper in bed."

Rory complied, pushing her pillows against the headboard and sitting up against them. Lorelai soon reentered, carrying a tray full of food. She nodded to Rory's night table, which had a lamp and a stack of books on it. Rory moved all the stuff to the floor, and Lorelai put the tray down on the cleared surface. "Ok, so there's chicken soup with come crackers, a big mug of coffee, and two Danishes. Eat."

Rory looked at her mother in amusement. "Are you going to help me? Spoon feeding is so vogue." She teased.

Lorelai shook her head. "Are you kidding? I've got my own food to eat. I couldn't carry it all at once." She exited again and returned carrying a plate that held a burger and fries. Rory looked at her food and decided to start with the soup. Stirring it, she gave a yelp of joy.

"Mom, look! There are alphabet noodles in my soup!"

Lorelai inspected the bowl. She had known that there were noodles, but hadn't realized that they were funky ones.

"Ok, we have to tease Luke about that. Who knew that the man kept alphabet noodles?"

"Mom, no. He probably bought them on a whim, and finally had an opportunity to use them. I think it's really sweet. And he doesn't make chicken noodle soup for anyone. Please don't tease him." Rory put on her baby face full force.

"Gah! I was fine until you used the eyes. I hate you." Lorelai glared at her daughter, but its intended effect was lessened when she shoved four fries in her mouth, and two dangled out like floppy fangs. Rory giggled.

"I love you, too. And hey, who was it that coached me on when to use the eyes?"

Lorelai pouted. "It's not fair. You can't use my own teaching against me."

"Well, I just did. Ha." Rory slurped her soup triumphantly.

The two women sat in Rory's room until they were finished their meals, and then, since Rory was feeling relatively awake, they decided to watch a movie. Lorelai got the Ben and Jerry's out of the freezer while Rory changed into clean pyjamas. Together, they paraded into the living room.

"So, what'll it be?"

"Um… something that I don't have to focus on, something that I've seen a bazillion times so that I don't have to worry about missing plot lines if I fall asleep again."

"Rory. We've seen all these movies a bazillion times. How bout Willy-"

"No. Not Willy Wonka. I'm afraid of what sort of dreams that movie will conjure up."

"Oooh, I once had a dream that I was the Oompa Loompa that had to test the gum, and instead of turning into a blueberry, I turned into a giant pumpkin pie, and Willy got out this huge can of whipping cream and all the other Oompa Loompas started eating me."

"Ok, see, that's what I'm talking about. I refuse to watch any movie involving small people who sing."

"So, Simon Birch and The Wizard of Oz are out, then."

"Definitely." Rory went to look at their films. "Ooh, this one!" She exclaimed, holding up a video.

Lorelai looked at the title. "Well, you're right about not having to focus on the plot."

-----

Rory actually managed to stay awake through most of the movie. Half an hour before it was finished, though, her eyes wouldn't stay open any longer, and she nestled against Lorelai to sleep. When the end credits were rolling, Lorelai shook her daughter awake.

"Rory, time to wake up." As Rory opened her eyes, Lorelai felt her forehead. "You must be sick! You slept through the last half-hour of The Three Musketeers! That is easily the funniest and most mockable part! I had to make fun of Chris O'Donnell and that king guy's nose all by myself, which isn't as much fun as mocking it with someone else."

Rory yawned hugely. "I'm sorry. I'm just so tired."

"Ok, Rory, if you can't kick this thing tomorrow, you're going to the doctor." She held up a hand to stop Rory's protests. "It can't hurt to get it checked out. Maybe it's just stress, but if it's something more, we need to know. And you will see the doctor, even if I have to tie you up and throw you in the Jeep."

It was a sure sign that Rory was sick when she nodded instead of protesting. Lorelai was briefly shocked, but hid it well as she moved to rewind the video.

"Ok, then, I'll call first thing Monday morning. Hopefully there'll be a spot open for later in the day." She turned back around to see Rory nodding sleepily. "And now, you should get to bed. Goodnight, darling daughter."

"Goodnight, lovely mother."


	3. Sunday

Chapter 3: Sunday

Rory slept all night and most of the morning. She got up once to go to the bathroom and have some food, and went back to bed. The house was eerily quiet and after a while, the silence started to make Lorelai jumpy. When someone knocked on the door, Lorelai actually let out a small scream. When her heart rate returned to normal, she went to answer the door. Dean stood there.

"Oh, hey Dean!"

"Hi, Lorelai. Is Rory in?"

"Yeah, but she's asleep. You can come in, though. She should probably be woken up to eat." As Dean entered, Lorelai kept talking. "Actually, you have great timing. I'm starting to get cabin fever, but I don't want to leave Rory alone. Could you...?"

"Oh, yeah, that's not a problem. But are you sure? Leaving me here alone with Rory?" Dean was being just a tiny bit sarcastic, and Lorelai picked up on that. 

"No offense, Dean, but I don't think Rory's feeling up to any hanky-panky. She could barely keep her eyes open for more than an hour yesterday, and that was after sleeping for 21 hours." Dean's eyebrows shot up. "So, um, I think there's some bruschetta in the freezer." Lorelai went to get it. "Could you turn on the oven to 350? Thanks." Putting the frozen, cheese-topped bread on a cookie tray, Lorelai set the whole thing on the counter. "When the little red light turns off, stick this thing in for eight minutes." Lorelai grabbed her purse and prepared to leave. At the door she turned around. "Dean?"

He looked up. "Yeah?"

Lorelai smiled. "Thank you."

Dean smiled back. "You're welcome."

-----

Lorelai opened the door to Luke's Diner, took one step in, and inhaled deeply. "Aah."

The three people in the diner – Kirk, Miss Patty, and Luke – all looked up.

"Lorelai, honey, where have you been?" Inquired the dance instructor. "And where is your charming daughter?"

Lorelai answered as she made her way to the counter where Luke was pouring her a coffee. "Rory's at home. She has some sort of bug or virus; she sleeps all the time, and I didn't want to leave her. Dean just came over, so she's not alone, and I had a chance to get out of the house." She took a large gulp of coffee, closing her eyes in bliss. "Mmmm. Luke, your coffee is better than seeing Brad Pitt without a shirt on."

"Thanks, I think. So, you don't think this is a weird teenaged phase that Rory's going through?"

Lorelai shook her head. "She wouldn't have a phase like this. She hasn't done her homework, even. All she has the energy for is to roll over and adjust her pillow before she goes back to sleep. It's starting to scare me."

"Well, if you need any help, just give me a call."

"Me too, honey. If you need someone to watch Rory while you're at work, you know anyone in this town will help you out."

"Thanks, Patty. Hey, Luke could I have some chicken noodle soup? Perhaps with alphabet noodles in it?"

Luke looked mildly uncomfortable. "Hey, I bought those on a whim."

"Did you just say whim? Because, you don't hear that word too much anymore."

"Shut up, Kirk…"

Jess, who had come downstairs to see if Luke needed any help, now crept back up to the apartment. When he got there, he grabbed Rory's copy of The Iliad, which he had borrowed, and tromped back downstairs.

"Luke, I'm going out."

The older man nodded. "Just be back in time for the dinner rush."

"I'll try." With that, Jess exited.

Lorelai looked at Luke with eyebrows raised. "He'll try?"

"Better than nothing. He actually does show up sometimes." Luke shrugged. "It's working out ok so far."

"Good. I'm glad. You're doing a good job with him." Seeing that Luke was growing uncomfortable with the praise he was receiving, Lorelai changed the subject. "So, can I have my soup?"

-----

Dean had just put the bruschetta in the oven and woken Rory up when there was a knock on the door. Rory wanted to answer it, but Dean didn't want her to. They debated it until there was a second knock. Rory suggested a compromise. She felt like getting up anyway, so they would both go to the door. They entered the front hall, Dean in jeans and a t-shirt, Rory in plaid pyjama pants and an old gym shirt of Lorelai's. Rory opened the door to find Jess standing there. 

"Jess." Rory looked quickly at her boyfriend, who suddenly seemed less jovial than he had just moments earlier. His jaw had tightened and he was staring coldly at Jess. She turned back to the boy on her doorstep. "Um, hi."

"Hi Rory. Hello Dean. So nice to see you again." He turned his attention back to Rory. "I heard you were convalescing, and I thought you might want your book back. Dunno if you'll have the time or energy to read it, but you have it if you want it. And I was wondering, do you have Tess of the D'Urbervilles? I haven't read any Hardy lately."

Rory glanced between Jess and Dean, the former who wore a slight smirk, and the latter whose jaw was clenched so tightly that a muscle was skipping. "Um, thanks," she said as she took The Iliad from Jess. "Dean, could you bring this to my room and get Tess for me? It's somewhere on the second shelf." Dean nodded and bent down to kiss Rory. She backed away, and when he looked up, confused, she explained. "I don't want you to get whatever I have." Understanding came over Dean's face and he nodded. Then, shooting a final glare at Jess, he went back to Rory's bedroom. Rory turned to face Jess.

"How did you know Dean was here?"

"I didn't."  
"Bull. You weren't at all surprised to see him here. So, how'd you find out?"

"Your mom came to the Diner and I overheard her talking with Luke and Patty. I thought a couple as obviously in love as you and Dean are, should probably have a chaperone. So, I came."

Rory rolled her eyes. "Well, it's a nice thought, but could you go when you have Tess in your hands?" Rory swallowed and blinked a few times. Her head was spinning, and everything was getting a bit fuzzy. Her ears were filled with a roaring noise, which blocked out Jess's response. She tried to say his name, to warn him that something was wrong, but she blacked out before she could open her mouth. 

Jess caught Rory as she fainted. For a moment he stood there, just holding her, but then he realized that he couldn't carry her into the house by himself, and that Dean was likely to come back at any moment and assume the worst. So Jess did the only thing that he could think of – he yelled for help.

"Dean!"

"What?" came floating out from Rory's room.

"Could you come out here?"

"Why?"

"Well, because I'm holding your girlfriend..." His sentence was cut short by Dean's arrival. "She fainted."

Dean looked as though he couldn't decide whether to be angry at Jess or concerned for Rory. Concern won out. "Well, what do I do?"

Jess rolled his eyes. "So much body, so few brains. Help me move her inside." Dean moved forward, grasped Rory behind the knees and around the waist, and lifted her with ease. He shot a smug look at Jess before turning towards the living room.

"Dean. Her head." The way that Dean was holding Rory, her head flopped back awkwardly. Dean shifted his arms, but that didn't help, and now his grip was loose. Grudgingly, he turned to Jess for help.

"Could you – kindof – support her head and shoulders?" Jess immediately did so, Dean readjusted his arms so that he held Rory comfortably, and together they managed to lay her on the couch. Then they both stood there looking at Rory. Jess broke the stillness by putting a blanket over Rory and then turning to Dean.

"Do you know where Rory's cell phone is?"

"She usually has it in her bag."

"Do you know the unlocking code?"

"Yeah." Dean didn't know where Jess was going with this line of questioning.

"Ok, so unlock it, call 911 and tell them where we are, what happened, and any other things that might be important. I'll call Luke and Lorelai."

"Got it."

For sworn enemies, Jess decided, they managed to work alright as a team when they had a common goal. As soon as the idea flashed in his head, he pushed it aside. Stooping down, he grabbed the antenna of the phone and pulled it out from under the couch. He could hear Dean talking in the kitchen as he dialed the phone number of the diner.

"Luke's Diner."

"Hey Luke."

"Jess."

"Is Lorelai still there?"

"Yeah." Luke's answer sounded almost like a question. 'Yeah, why do you suddenly care about her?'

"Well, could you tell her to come home? Cuz, Rory just fainted."

"What?!" The background noise that had been coming over the phone suddenly died at Luke's exclamation. "When?"

"Last Hanukkah. We only discovered two minutes ago, though."

"Jess…"

"Two minutes ago, Luke. Will you tell Lorelai?"

"Yeah." A shuffling noise followed, and Jess knew that his uncle had put the phone against his shoulder. In spite of the muffling qualities of flannel, Jess still heard Lorelai's squawk of surprise.

Just then, Dean shouted from the kitchen. "Jess, is she breathing?" 

Shooting a look of disgust in the general direction of Dean's voice, Jess put his hand, palm up, about three inches above Rory's mouth. He could feel small puffs of warmth as Rory exhaled. "Yeah!" Next, he put two fingers on her outer throat. Pressing down slightly, he found her pulse. Jamming the phone between his ear and shoulder, he looked at his watch and timed her heartbeat. "Her pulse is strong, but fast."

"Ok."

And then Luke was back on the phone. "Jess?"

"Yep."

"I'm driving Lorelai over. We'll be there soon."

"Ok." Jess heard a click as Luke hung up. "Bye." He looked up as Dean entered. "You know, I didn't think it was possible, but you look even taller from down here."

"Shut up, Jess." Mild annoyance flashed in Dean's eyes, but his attention quickly turned back to Rory. He dropped to his knees beside Jess, who quickly stood and exited as Dean pulled Rory's hand from under the blanket and held it gently between his own large hands.

Out on the porch, Jess took a deep breath. What he wouldn't give for a cigarette. In New York he'd once seen a Wall Street suit drop on the sidewalk, having a heart attack. People had panicked then, but one man had remained calm and soon organized someone to call an ambulance, and started CPR. Jess, walking past, had admired the man's coolness. When the man had been shown on the news that night, he claimed that he had been scared out of his wits, but he knew what had to be done and how to do it, so he had done it. Jess now understood what the man had meant. When Rory collapsed, Jess's heart had skipped a beat. However, he knew that he had to sort things out as quickly as possible. Now in the aftermath, his hands were shaking. Jess sat down on the top step, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Soon the crunch of gravel under tires signaled Luke and Lorelai's arrival. She jumped out of the Jeep before Luke had come to a complete stop and ran inside. After turning off the engine, Luke followed her steps. He stopped when he saw his nephew. Jess was sitting on the top step, pale, with an inscrutable look on his face. 

"Jess…" Luke began. When his nephew looked up, Luke realized that he didn't know what to say. So, he mounted the steps, sat beside Jess, and patted him once, awkwardly, on the shoulder. Silence fell over them like a blanket, and they stayed that way until the ambulance arrived.

-----

On the way to the hospital, Lorelai rode in the ambulance with Rory, while Luke, Jess, and Dean followed in the Jeep. Tense silence reigned during the drive to the hospital in Hartford. When the three men arrived, they entered through the emergency room doors and found Lorelai pacing in the hallways. When she looked up and saw them, she walked over to them. "They took her away… I haven't heard anything yet, and I'm so worried, I had to fill out all this paperwork and…" Lorelai seemed to be on the verge of tears. 

Luke stepped forward and grasped her upper arms. "She'll be ok, Lorelai." 

Just then, a plump nurse in white scrubs approached them. "Excuse me, Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore, but you're going to have to move. There's a small waiting room you can sit in and wait for the complete diagnosis. Take this hallway down to the first intersection, turn left, and it's the third door on the right." Having finished her speech, the nurse scurried back into the room that she had come out of.

Dean and Jess both looked amused that the nurse had assumed that Luke and Lorelai were married, while the adults both appeared shocked.

"Well, Mom; Pop, we should probably do what the nice lady said."

In unison, Luke and Lorelai chorused "Shut up, Luke."

-----

40 minutes later, a doctor entered the sea-green room where everyone sat on hard orange chairs. Immediately, they all stood up, but the doctor waved them back into their seats. He had curly black hair and an olive complexion, and didn't look a day over 20.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Kasan, a resident here, and I've been taking care of Rory. Let me start by saying she's going to be fine. She fainted due to dehydration, so we have her on an IV drip. She'll have to stay overnight for observation, but we'll probably release her in the morning." Collectively, the four let out breaths that they had held since the doctor's entrance. "Now, we did some tests and we've found out why Rory's been so lethargic lately. Rory has mononucleosis."

As the realization of what the doctor had just said sank in, Lorelai, Luke, and Jess all turned to stare accusingly at Dean.

"What?"

At Dean's question, Dr. Kasan turned to him as well. "Are you Rory's boyfriend?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, we should probably do some tests on you, too. Mono is sometimes called 'the kissing disease', and you may have contracted it."

Now Dean understood the stares of the other three. "Oh. Well, I guess… maybe I should be tested. If you think there's a risk."

Dr. Kasan nodded. "We just want to be sure. Judging from the fact that you don't look like you're suffering any symptoms, I'd say you're fine, but it doesn't hurt to check. So, unless there are any questions, we can get started right away." No one spoke. "Alright, young man, let's go." Dr. Kasan, Dean, and Lorelai rose. She reached out, and the doctor shook her hand.

"Thank you so much, Doctor. Oh - May we go see Rory?" she added.

"Yes. She'll probably be asleep, but if you want to talk to her, feel free. Just, go in one at a time." Luke, Jess, and Lorelai nodded, and Dean and the doctor left the room. The door had barely shut when Lorelai began to giggle. Luke and Jess looked at each other and shrugged. As Lorelai sat back down, her giggle subsided, and she sighed.

"Ok, so it's only mono. We can deal with that." She smiled, and her tone was full of laughter. "Rory will laugh when she hears that her doctor is Doogie Howser." She began laughing again, until she was gasping for breath and tears were running down her face. Once again Luke and Jess looked at each other, mystified. "And – the funniest thing – is – he called Dean – young man!" And with that, Lorelai began laughing uproariously again. After a moment, Jess cracked a smile, Luke snorted, and soon they were all laughing at the hilarity of it.

-----

When they had all settled down again, Lorelai went to visit Rory. When she returned, Dean was still gone, so Luke went in next. Dean reentered the waiting room five minutes later with a Band-Aid on his inner elbow. He looked pale.

"I hate needles. Especially the ones that take things out of you. Like, blood."

Lorelai shot him a look of sympathy. Jess stood up and stretched. "Well, that's a good idea. I think I'll go give blood. Why is it that I can't vote yet, but I can surrender my life essence one pint at a time? I'll be back in an hour or so. Don't wait around for me." Jess glanced behind him as he exited and saw Dean sink into a chair with a look of horror on his face. Grinning, Jess shut the door behind him, turned around, and ran into a wall of flannel. Quickly he erased the look of glee from his face, but Luke had already seen it. 

"Jess…" Luke's tone had a warning in it. "Where are you going?"

"To give blood."

Luke nodded, suspicion gone. "Good idea. I'll come too."

"Goody, then we can hold hands if the needle hurts." Before Luke could comment, Jess jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "You should tell Lorelai so that Dean knows he can go check in with Rory." Jess moved out of the way so Luke could open the door.

"Hey, Lorelai, I'm going with Jess to give blood. You can go visit Rory, Dean… hey, you don't look so good." As Luke shut the door, he shrugged to Jess. The teen managed to contain his smile until his uncle had turned around and was walking towards the blood clinic.

-----

Just as he had promised, Jess returned an hour later with a Band-Aid identical to Dean's on his inner elbow. He was sucking on a box of apple juice, and carried a coffee in his other hand. When he entered the waiting room, Lorelai was alone, staring up at ceiling.

"Hey." Lorelai startled as Jess spoke. "Luke sent this for you. Don't know how good it'll be, but he figured you could probably use a dose of caffeine." He handed her the steaming cup.

"Thanks." Lorelai took a sip, made a grotesque face, and then took a large gulp. Shuddering, she lowered the cup. "What are the odds that I can get Doogie Kasan to set up an IV and run this directly into my bloodstream?"

"Slim to none. Probably doesn't have the right saline content."

"Have you tasted it?"

"Nah. I'm not big on coffee, especially if it's made in a public institution."

"Hm. Good idea." The pair lapsed into silence. A TV droned a soap opera in the corner, and occasionally Jess slurped on his straw. After a few minutes, Lorelai took a deep breath. "So, Jess, could I ask you something?"

"Yeah. Whether I answer it or not…" He shrugged.

"Ok, well, I was wondering what you were doing at our house."

"I heard that Rory was sick, but I didn't catch how. There's this wonky duct thing; sometimes I catch pieces of conversations from the diner in my room. Hey, did you know that Miss Patty has a crush on the troubadour guy?

"Miss Patty has a crush on just about everything that zips at the crotch. Don't try to change the subject. Did you happen to "catch" anything about Dean being there?"

"I may have heard something to that effect."

"So, you went to antagonize him?"

"No, I went to return Rory's book and ask for a new one. You're lucky I was there, otherwise she'd likely have a concussion from falling on the floor when she fainted."

"Actually, she likely wouldn't have fainted at all! You knew she was sick, but you made her referee your little head games with Dean. How much do you really care about her? Because, I don't know, but that seems like a really stupid thing for a friend to do."

Jess's retort went unheard, because Luke and Dean walked in.

"Luke, can we leave now?"

Luke looked confused. "Don't you want to talk to Rory?"

Jess looked meaningfully at Lorelai. "I think Rory's seen enough of me today." Luke looked back and forth between his nephew and Lorelai. Obviously they had disagreed about something – again – but it must have been big to make Jess give up a chance to see Rory. "Yeah, we can go now. Lorelai, just call me when you need to be picked up."

"It's ok, Luke, I'm going to stay the night. I'll call in the morning.

"Alright." Luke, Jess, and Dean exited, leaving Lorelai alone again. She sighed in frustration, then lifted the coffee cup to her lips and downed the remaining liquid.

-----

On the drive home, Luke kept looking over at his nephew, who was staring out the window. Something was wrong. Jess was never one for talking unnecessarily, but this silence was different than the usual attitude that Jess exuded. By the time that they reached the Gilmore residence to drop off the Jeep, Luke was considering ignoring their unspoken 'I live my life, you live yours, we don't ask questions and everything will work out fine' rule. He wanted to know what had happened to make Jess so sullen. The three men stepped out of the vehicle and went their separate ways - Dean to his home, Luke and Jess to theirs. On the way, Luke decided to broach the subject. He wasn't sure of what to say, but he knew he had to try.

"So, Jess." The teen looked over at him, mute. "I, uh, guess that something happened. With Lorelai."

"Good guess."

After a long pause, Luke continued. "Well, if you need to talk about it…" he let his offer dangle in the air. Jess ignored it. "Well, you know where I live." Luke's attempt at humour fell flat. He and Jess kept walking. Finally, Jess exploded.

"How can you stand that woman? She is so paranoid! She accused me of making Rory faint. I mean, sure, I went to their house because I knew it'd get under Dean's skin, but it's not like I meant for anything to happen. And really, at least now they know what Rory has, and they can deal with it. If she'd had to go to a doctor, they wouldn't know for at least a week." Jess fell silent again.

Luke nodded. "Hm. Well, for what it's worth, I'm sure you didn't mean for Rory to faint." Jess looked over at his uncle, and for a brief moment, Luke read the relief and thanks in Jess's eyes. Then it was gone. Jess turned forward again, and the men walked on in silence.

88888

Gah. I keep forgetting to write Authors notes. And disclaimers. And now I can't remember what I was going to say. Oh yeah: Um, it is an AU story, so all the seriously bad stuff between Jess and Lorelai hasn't happened, because the accident didn't happen. I guess this is set in the past season time frame… Anyways, thanks to all of you who reviewed, and if you haven't yet, what are you waiting for? The blue button is right down under this AN… Thanks! *muah*


	4. Monday

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the quirky, loveable residents of Stars Hollow. Darn. Also, most of my medical knowledge comes from watching ER (which I also have no share in) so if I get something wrong, please pretend it's right.

A/N. This chapter is for Erin, because she's the best friend in the world. :) Lots of "Luke/Lorelai action" for ya. Happy (early) Birthday, dahling! 

Chapter 4: Monday

The next morning, Luke left Caesar in charge and went back to Hartford to pick up the Gilmores. He found Lorelai and Rory all ready to go, Rory sitting in a wheelchair.

"I still don't understand why I have to be pushed out of here. I'm fine, just sleepy. I really don't think I'm going to faint again."

A sneaky smile crept over Lorelai's face. "Let's switch then! I'll ride in the wheelchair, and you can walk."

"Lorelai." Luke interjected, "these people have been to medical school. They won't fall for that."

"Oh yeah? Just watch. Rory, out of the chair." Mother and daughter switched places quickly, before the attending nurse came.

He entered the room with a smile. "Hi, I'm Asa, and I'll take you out of here. All ready to go?" He asked as he got behind the chair.

Lorelai grinned over at Luke. "Yep."

"Ok, then, let's go." Asa wheeled her out of the room. Rory pulled on Luke's sleeve to get him moving. He had been standing, dumfounded, staring after Lorelai and the nurse.

"Come on, Luke. Just be glad you didn't put any money on that one." Finally Luke began moving, and he and Rory followed Asa's retreating form down the hall. When he and Lorelai had reached the parking lot, they stopped and waited for Luke and Rory to catch up. When those two arrived, Lorelai hopped out of the wheelchair.

"Thanks for the ride, Asa!" He smiled at her, turned around, and went back into the hospital. Lorelai pointed at Luke. "Ha! I knew we'd get away with it. Just be glad you didn't put any money on it."

The three of them walked over to Luke's truck. Rory clambered into the middle seat and leaned against Lorelai as they drove. Within minutes of leaving the hospital, the low rumble of the engine soothed Rory into sleep. Luke and Lorelai talked quietly so as not to wake her.

"Well, I should call Rory's school when we get home. Dr. Kasan said that mono can last for months." Lorelai looked at her daughter, a wrinkle of worry creasing her forehead. "Rory's smart, but I don't know if she'll be able to deal with months of catching up. I'm worried, Luke."

He glanced over at Lorelai. "She can do it. And, just because it can last for months doesn't mean it will."

Lorelai sighed. "I guess you're right. And I'm sure her teachers will go a bit easy with the homework. I mean, it's not like she asked to get mono. They'll have to go easy on her. Right?" She looked to Luke for assurance.

He looked over at her, and she reminded him of a little girl who had gotten lost in a giant store. He took one hand from the steering wheel and put his arm along the back of the seat. His hand reached to Lorelai's neck, which he rubbed gently. She closed her eyes and relaxed into the soothing touch. Luke kept massaging her neck until they reached the house. Lorelai opened her eyes and sighed again as Luke turned off the ignition. She turned and smiled at him.

"Thanks, Luke." Lorelai wanted to say more, but couldn't find the words. "So… I guess we should go in." She undid her seatbelt and prepared to wake Rory up. Luke caught her hand before she could begin shaking her daughter.

"Let her sleep. I can carry her in."

"No, it's ok-."

"Lorelai." Luke's tone showed that he wouldn't let her argue. "The more sleep she gets, the quicker she'll get better, and then she can start catching up sooner."

Lorelai couldn't argue with that logic, so she nodded. She unbuckled Rory as Luke walked around the front of the truck. Lorelai hopped to the ground and went to open the front door as Luke pulled Rory from the truck. Holding her much better than Dean had, he carried her into the house. Lorelai was in Rory's room plumping the pillows and straightening out the sheets, so all Luke had to do was lay Rory down. Lorelai covered her up, and the adults stood there, looking at her. Luke's heart gave a little squeeze, and he wondered if this was what real fatherhood was like. It felt almost… normal… to be standing here with Lorelai, guarding over the teenager that they both loved.

Luke cleared his throat, ending the moment. "Well, I should get to the diner. I left Caesar alone, and he can't deal with the lunch rush by himself, so…"

"Yeah, I understand. Thank you so much, Luke. For picking us up and taking care of us and everything."

"No problem. Just call if you need anything. Food, babysitter… I mean it." Lorelai nodded in response as the two left Rory's room. 

"Luke?" He turned to face Lorelai. She shrugged, unsure of why she had called him. "Thanks again." And then, surprising them both, she stepped forward and hugged Luke. Quickly she stepped back.

"Lorelai…" She held up a hand to stop Luke from speaking, but he ignored it. "You should try to get some sleep, too."

Lorelai was pleasantly surprised at Luke's concern. "I'll try."

"Better than nothing." Both adults smiled as they realized that they had used the exact same phrases the day before. With a small wave, Luke let himself out of the house. Lorelai moved back into the kitchen, pulled out a chair, and sat down. Letting out a small groan, she banged her head on the table twice. She rested there for a moment before getting back up and looking for the phone.

-----

Five hours later, Chilton had been called, Lorelai had booked off work for the week, and she had taken a long rest. When she woke up, she ordered a pizza and channel-surfed. Twenty minutes later, the delivery guy arrived, and Rory woke up.

"Your sense of timing is impeccable, Rory." Lorelai exclaimed as they sat down.

"Well, timing is everything." Rory smiled at her mother and began eating ravenously.

When they were finished their meal, Lorelai brought up the subject of school. "I called Chilton and told them you have mono. I have a conference with your teachers tomorrow afternoon to discuss your workload. I'll see if I can get them to exempt you from tests if you hand in enough homework."

"Thanks." Rory looked at Lorelai. "I'm sorry, Mom."

Lorelai looked confused. "For what?"

"Getting sick."

"Oh, honey, it's not your fault. I mean, unless you did a mono dance, I doubt that you wanted this. You can't help it." Seeing her own previous worry mirrored in her daughter's eyes, Lorelai reached over and took Rory's hand. "We'll get through it."

"We always do." Mother and daughter smiled at each other. Just then, the phone rang, and Lorelai answered it.

"Stan's Mortuary; you stab 'em, we slab 'em."

"Lorelai! What a horrible thing to say!"

"Oh, hi Mom."

"What if I had been calling to tell you that someone had died?"  
"Well, I would have chalked it up to ESP."

"What an awful way to answer the phone. I can't believe you said that."

"I'm beginning to regret it."

"Well, you should. It's simply appalling."

"Alright, Mother, I understand. It was a disgusting, vile thing to say. Now, apart from criticizing my answering technique, was there a reason for this call?"

"Yes. Your father and I were wondering how Rory is."

"Oh, Rory's fine." Lorelai lied. Rory glared at her. "Well, she has a touch of mono, but apart from the fact that she's temporarily a narcoleptic, she's fine."

"Pardon me? Really, Lorelai, do you ever just say what you mean?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Rory has mono. She's sleepy all the time. Other than that, she's ok."

"Well, thank you for calling us the instant you got the news. That was courteous of you." Replied Emily sarcastically.

"Mom, I'm sorry, but things have been a little bit crazy around here today. I had other stuff to take care of first."

"Oh. So we were on the list of things to do? Did we rank above or below 'shampoo hair'?" Emily's tone was full of vinegar.

"Mom. I had to call Chilton to arrange a meeting with Headmaster Charleston and Rory's teachers to talk about how much she can and will be expected to do, so that we make the most of the tuition that you are paying. And then I had to call in to work to get time off so I can take care of Rory." The teen's eyes widened at this news, and Lorelai gave her a we'll-deal-with-this-later look. "And then, I had to sleep, because I didn't sleep well last night, and now we're eating because that's fairly essential to survival, and when I was done eating I was going to call you. So, yes, you do rank above shampooing."

When Emily spoke again her tone was subdued. "I'm sorry, Lorelai I shouldn't have been so harsh with you."

Hearing her mother apologize made Lorelai soften as well. "Well, I guess I could have called you earlier."

"It would have been nice. But, what's done is done." Emily was back to her normal self. "I will call Headmaster Charleston as well, and let him know that I will not allow him or his teachers to push Rory too hard."

Lorelai wanted to protest, but when she saw that Rory was looking tired again, she swallowed her objection. "Thank you. Look, I have to help Rory to bed now, but I'll be home all week if you want to call."

"Thank you, Lorelai. I may check up on Rory later, perhaps on Thursday."

"Ok." An awkward pause followed. "Well, I guess we'll talk later, then."

"Yes, I suppose so."

"Ok. Well, bye."

"Goodbye, Lorelai." Both women hung up.

Lorelai shook her head in a mixture of confusion and amazement. "Well, that was fun."

Rory blinked fuzzily. "Sounded like it." She switched topics. "You can't stay home all week."

"Yes I can, and I will."

Rory yawned hugely. "We'll talk about this the next time I'm awake." She stood up and shuffled back to her room. "Goodnight, Mom."

"Goodnight, Rory. I love you."

"Love you, too."

"Sleep well." There was no answer.

-----

Lorelai wasn't used to having such a quiet house. Even when Rory was in her room, doing homework, there was the itching of a pen across paper, the riffles of pages turning, and the low hum of Rory's classical 'homework' music. If Rory was gone, the house had a happy, waiting sort of energy. But now, there was no excited anticipation; only the knowledge that Rory was sick and likely wouldn't be well soon. Lorelai had plenty of time to think and worry. She even cleaned a little bit, arranging the magazines in neat piles and blowing the dust off the top of the TV. When all of that was done, she sat down again. What would she do? Life wasn't half as fun without Rory. In fact, it was downright boring. Lorelai decided to spruce it up a bit. Picking up the phone, she dialed the number for the video store.

"Stars Hollow Video, Kirk speaking."

"Hi, is Scotty there?"

"Scotty who?"

"Um, just Scotty. Is he there?"  
"I think you may have the wrong number."

"No, if you're Kirk, then Scotty must be around somewhere. Unless he's waiting on the ship to beam you up."

"Lorelai? Is that you?"

Lorelai hung up, giggling. That had been fun. She thought about whom she should call next. Taylor? It was always enjoyable to get him all riled up, and prank calls were just about the quickest way to do that. She was about to pick up the phone when it rang.

"Dorothy here, next tornado to Oz in half an hour!" Lorelai chirped.

"Lorelai, did you just call me?"

"Well, depends on who 'you' are."

"Kirk."

"Kirk? No, I didn't call you. But I am looking for Scotty, so if you see him, could you tell him to call me?"

"That's not funny. I can't help it that I was conceived at a Star Trek convention."

"Ok, eeeeeeeeeeeeewwww! That was way beyond too much information. Why did you feel the need to tell me that?"

"It slipped out. Sorry."

"No, stuff like that doesn't just 'slip out'. Ugh. Although, it does make it a teeny little bit easier to understand you." There was a pause, which Lorelai ended. "Well, as enlightening as this has been, I have more prank calls to make."

"Don't tell me you're going to ask Taylor if Frank N Furter is in the market."

"Oh, thanks, Kirk! I'd forgotten about Frankie."

"Oh dear. Don't tell Taylor that I reminded you."

"Ah, your secret's safe with me, cap'n." Lorelai heard Kirk's indignant squawk as she removed the phone from her ear and pressed the 'end' button. Kirk really made it far too easy to tease him. Quickly Lorelai dialed the number for Doose's market. This time she decided to lower her voice, so she wouldn't be discovered so quickly.

"Doose's Market, Fabia speaking. How may I help you?"

Lorelai used her regular voice. "Hey Fabia, it's Lorelai."

"Oh, hello! Is there something you need?"

"No, actually I was trying to prank call Taylor."  
"Oh. Sorry if I ruined your fun. Would you like me to get him on the line?"

"No, no, that's ok. I'll call back later. Cuz, if you were to put him on the line, and then I asked for Frank N Furter… well, that just wouldn't make much sense, right?"

"Right. Well, he's coming over here, so if you call back really soon, he'll have to answer it."

"Ok, thanks! I'll do that. Bye!" They hung up.

Taylor bustled over. "Who was that?"

"Wrong number." Fabia turned to ring up a customer's purchases. She had scanned three items when the phone rang. She looked up at Taylor, shrugged as if to apologize, and continued to run the bar codes of groceries over the scanner. Taylor didn't know why she was apologizing; he could answer the phone in his own store!

"Doose's Market, Taylor Doose speaking. How may I be of assistance today?"

This time Lorelai affected a high, lispy accent. "Hi, I'm looking for Phil. He told me he was going grocery shopping."

Taylor scanned the store, but recognized everyone he could see. "I'm sorry, I don't think there's anyone here by that name."

"Well, could you maybe page him? It's really important."

Taylor sighed. "Very well. What is this Phil's last name?"

"McCracken."

Taylor picked up the intercom. "If there is a Phil McCracken in the store, could he please come to the checkout."

Lorelai heard someone laughing in the store, and a male voice exclaimed, "Phil McCracken! That's good!" That was the end of Lorelai's self control. She began giggling as she pictured Taylor's look of shock that someone found the name funny. She was snorting and holding her stomach when Taylor came back on the phone, and she had to squelch her laughter.

"I'm sorry, miss, but there seems to be no 'Phil McCracken' in my market."

Lorelai began giggling again, and dropped the accent when she spoke again. "I can't believe you just said 'fill my crack in' over the intercom! This is so much better than the Frank N Furter call!"

"Lorelai?"

She grinned at the mixture of shock, horror, and incredulity in Taylor's tone. "The one and only!"

"Lorelai, I really expect better of you. What kind of role model are you being for Rory?"

Lorelai shuddered. "Taylor, you just sounded eerily like my mother. Have you been working on your channeling lately?"

"Lorelai." Taylor's tone was full of exasperation. "Do you have a legitimate reason for calling?"

"Not really."

"Then could you please hang up? What if someone really needs to call here?"

Lorelai gasped and put her hand over her heart. "Oh my! I never even thought about that. I mean, what if someone needs three rutabagas delivered to their house immediately so she can finish her…" Lorelai fished around for something suitably weird, but couldn't find anything to finish her comeback oddly enough. "Alright, fine. Bye, Taylor!" And with that she hung up. A grin remained on her face for a long time.

-----

Author's note: Well, I've never had mono myself, but I know someone who did, and it didn't look like fun. So I decided to write about it. Anyway, I think from here on in I'm not going to go day-by-day (in the story), but will likely do weekly things with highlights of special moments. Like, Lorelai's meeting with the teachers and anything else that may happen in the week, etcetera. Because, I want to finish this story before I go to college in a week. (ipe). Ok? Great. Oh, and for the record, if Kirk is 32 or younger (my sister and I decided that he's in his late 20's) he could have been conceived at a Star Trek convention. I did research. The first one was in 1970. So, now you know. The things I do for realism in my stories…


	5. Tuesday

Author's Note: After a short but serious battle with writer's block, I'm back. The beginning is cheesy, but it gets better. Marginally.

Chapter 5: Tuesday

Tuesday morning dawned crisp and clear, and Lorelai could tell that something good would happen. She wasn't sure what it would be, but it felt like something big. When she stepped out of her bedroom, she knew. Rory stood there, fully dressed, dangling the keys to the Jeep.

"Luke's. Now."

"Whoa, too many monosyllables for this early in the morning."

"I haven't had coffee in days. I can't remember what it tastes like."

Lorelai gaped at Rory in horror. "Surely you jest!"

"Would I joke about something like that?"

"No, you wouldn't."

"Right." Rory grabbed her mother's hand and began dragging her forward. "Let's go quickly, before I get tired again. Well, while I still have energy, at least. I can't remember not being tired. How long will this last?"

"Rory, for someone who has little energy and no caffeine in her system, you sure talk fast."

"Answer my question." Rory opened the front door and, after she and Lorelai had stepped through, shut it behind her and headed for the Jeep.

"Well, Doogie said that the shortest case lasts about six weeks. But, he also thinks that you've had mono for two weeks, so, another it might be another month."

"And that's the minimum." Rory stated.

Lorelai looked pained. "Yeah. Most cases last for a few months, with symptoms that can hang around for years."

Rory sighed and slumped against her seat. "So, this isn't your average flu bug."

"Nope. Sorry."

Rory looked over at her mom. "Did you do the mono dance?"

Lorelai looked puzzled. "What?"

"In a rare moment of lucidity yesterday, I remember we had a talk about apologizing for this. I distinctly remember hearing something about a mono dance."

Lorelai grinned over at her daughter as they reached Luke's. "It was a good line, wasn't it?"

"A very good line. A good point, too. No more apologizing."

Lorelai nodded solemnly, raising her hand in the Scout's salute. "No more apologizing."

"Good." Rory preceded Lorelai into the diner.

Luke looked up as the bell over the door jangled. "Rory, hi!"

"Hey Luke!"

"How are you feeling?"

"Good. Can't complain. Well I could, but it would be a waste of my awake time." Luke smiled at her logic as he made his way around the counter with a pot of coffee in his hand. Rory and Lorelai quickly sat down at the nearest table.

"So, what can I get for you this morning?"

"French toast, please."

"And for you, Lorelai?"

"Chopped liver."

"We don't serve that till eleven; sorry."

Lorelai glared at Luke. "You totally just missed my whole point."

"Lorelai, when was the last time you had a point?" Luke's statement was softened by a smile.

"Well, there was the time I dressed up as Madonna for Halloween. I had two points then!" Lorelai beamed up at Luke, who looked uncomfortable. "I'll have two fried eggs and raisin toast."

Luke left their table, shaking his head.

Rory turned to her mother. "Ok, what was that?"

Lorelai looked confused. "What was what?"

"That smiling, flirting thing that you and Luke just did."

"That was not…" Lorelai looked around and dropped her voice to a whisper, "flirting."

"It was so!" Rory announced.

"Was not."

"Was so."

"Was not."

"Oh, please, it was like watching 'While You Were Sleeping', except without Peter Galagher."

"Hey, Eyebrow Man! What did she see in him? I mean, when the first thing you notice about a man is his eyebrows, you know that something just isn't right."

"Don't change the subject."

Lorelai took a sip of her coffee. "Ok, maybe it was a little teensy bit of flirting." Seeing Rory's face brighten, she added hurriedly, "But it doesn't mean anything. It was harmless. Fun. It – stop looking at me like that!" Rory was grinning as Lorelai babbled.

"Mom, you two are so obviously in love, and you're the only two who can't see it."

"Rory! Don't say that! It's a four-letter word!"

"Rory is a four-letter word."

"Rory is a name."

"It has four letters."

Lorelai slumped over. "I give up. I cannot win."

"Darn tootin' you can't."

Lorelai looked up again. "Did you just say 'darn tootin'?"

"Yes I did."

"Wow. So your meds are kicking in, then."

"Apparently."

"Huh." 

Just then, Luke came over with their food. Lorelai avoided his gaze, and Rory giggled at her. Luke set down the plates, looked back and forth between mother and daughter, rolled his eyes, and walked away shaking his head. Out of all the confusing women in the world, Lorelai Gilmore was right at the top of the list.

-----

As the women were finishing their meals, Jess came downstairs. Lorelai's smile disappeared, but Rory's got bigger. Jess nodded at Rory, but ignored Lorelai. Rory looked to her mother and saw her look of displeasure, and followed her gaze to Jess. Turning back, she questioned Lorelai.

"Mom… What's going on?"

"Going on? Is something going on? No," she paused reflectively, "I can't remember anything going on."

"There is clearly something going on. Tell me."

Lorelai looked stubborn. "It's nothing."

"Mom, I've lived with you for 17 years. I know when something isn't right."

"Define right."

"Mom!"

"Alright, fine. I yelled at Jess."

"When?"

"At the hospital."

"You didn't." Rory looked disappointed, and Lorelai felt a twinge of sadness that the emotion was directed at her.

"Yes I did. If it wasn't for him, you wouldn't have fainted."

"That's not true! And you know it. I got out of bed- I fought with Dean because he wasn't going to let me get up- and I fainted because I was dehydrated, not because Jess was there."

"But if he hadn't come to the house-."

"Then someone else would have, and I would have fainted on them. What if it had been Babbette? I don't know if she could have caught me. Would you be mad at her?"

Rory had a point, and Lorelai knew it. "But-."

"No buts. You wouldn't. So, is it fair that you're mad at Jess?" Rory stared at Lorelai, who stared back. Finally, letting out a huff of air, she shook her head. Rory continued. "So, what are you going to do about it?"

Lorelai understood Rory's tone. "Please, don't make me apologize. I'm no good at it."

"I can't make you do anything. But you know you should."

Lorelai made a face. "Fine. I'll apologize." Rory smiled. "But, could you come with me? For backup? Cuz I know Jess won't whale me with a frying pan if you're right there."

"Nope. You got into this by yourself, and you can get out of it by yourself. Besides, there aren't any frying pans within Jess's reach." 

Lorelai stood up. "Before I go- when did you get all wise and mother-y?"

Rory explained happily. "I learned it from this really cool lady I live with." Mother and daughter shared a grin before Lorelai moved to the counter where Jess was. He looked up when she cleared her throat. The expression on his face showed that he wasn't thrilled.

"Yeah?"

Lorelai smiled at the teen, trying to psych herself up for what she was about to do. "Jess, hi. Look, um, about Sunday. I'm sorry that I blew up at you. I was nervous; I hate hospitals, and… it wasn't your fault, I shouldn't have blamed you." Lorelai finished with a look of hope on her face. 

Jess noticed her expression, and would have dashed her hopes, but he looked over at Rory. She sat there, not even hiding her interest in the conversation, sipping at her coffee. When she felt Jess's gaze on her, she smiled at him, and his resolve weakened. "Ok."

"Ok? As in, apology accepted?"

"Yeah."

Lorelai looked slightly surprised. "Wow. Ok, great. Um, thanks!" She turned around and grinned hugely at Rory as she walked back to her table.

"Well? Was that so bad?"

Lorelai pretended to think it over. "Nah. He didn't bite my head off or anything."

"Well, that's a good sign."

"Yep. Cuz it's really hard to apologize someone when you're being digested by them."

Rory wrinkled her nose at the mental picture. "Eew."

"Yeah, sorry, that was gross. Hey, speaking of gross, guess what Kirk told me yesterday?"

"I don't want to know."

Lorelai thought about it. "Good idea. Maybe I'll tell Luke."

"Yeah, go tell Luke."

Lorelai stood up again and walked towards the kitchen. "Hey, Luke! Guess what Kirk said?"

"I don't want to know."

"How do you know that? It might be really good!"

Their bickering (flirting, thought Rory) continued as she went over to the counter.

"Hey, Jess." He looked up. "Thanks."

"No problem." He set his cleaning rag down on the counter and moved around to sit beside Rory on a stool. "So, you look awake."

"Brilliant deduction."

"Thanks. Chalk it up to Stars Hollow's amazing education system."

The two sat in comfortable silence, which was broken when Luke burst out of the kitchen, followed quickly by Lorelai. 

"Please, Luke? It's really funny!"

"No! I refuse to listen to your psychobabble." That stopped Lorelai.

"What is it with people using odd terms this morning?"

Luke spun to look at her. "Maybe it's a reaction to being around you."

"Possibly." Lorelai waved her hands in the air as if dismissing the likelihood. "So, can I tell you now?"

"No."

Lorelai waited for three seconds. "How bout now?"

"No."

Jess interjected. "Why don't you just say it? It's not like he can stop you."

Luke turned to shoot a glare at his nephew that would have killed a lesser man. As it was, Jess shrugged.

"Good idea, Jess. Luke, Kirk was conceived at a Star Trek convention!" There was a stunned silence in the diner, which was quickly followed by an amazing number of words.

"Ew! Mom-"

"That's just wrong!"

"-I didn't need-" 

"I told you not to tell me."

"-to hear that."

"Sick and twisted." 

"Amoral."

"Gross."

"Ok, I get it! But really, isn't that just way too juicy to keep to yourself?"

"No!" came from three mouths. Lorelai looked stunned at their vehemence.

"Oh. Sorry. But now you can tease him about it!"

Luke looked disgusted. "Why would I want to even think about that, much less talk about it?"

Lorelai thought about that. "Yeah. I guess that's a good point."

"Of course it's a good point." Luke headed back into the kitchen, followed again by Lorelai, who was still talking to him. Jess shook his head in amazement.

"Do they have any idea how ridiculous they look?"

Rory smiled gently. "They're in love. They don't care how ridiculous they look."

Jess shot a questioning glance at Rory. "Do they know they're in love?"

"Well, they don't. But everyone else does, so they let them be ridiculous. It's just assumed. Besides, they're fun to watch."

"Man, the people in this town are hard up for entertainment."

"Well, they can't watch Bambi anymore."

Jess grinned quickly, then resumed his normal poker face. "Sure they can. She's just a little more voluptuous than they're used to."

"Ack. What is it with people filling my head with information that I just don't want to know?"

"You're cute when you're grossed out." Jess said before he could stop himself.

"What?" Rory's tone was half amused, half disconcerted.

Jess decided that backtracking was for wimps, and forged ahead. "Your nose wrinkles and your forehead wrinkles and your eyes get bluer. Cute." He shrugged. "You know. Rabbits and kittens are cute, too."

"Oh great. Bambi is the poster child for a Hooters girl, and you're comparing me to Thumper?" Rory asked sarcastically.

Jess decided that maybe backtracking wasn't such a bad idea. "No, I just meant… you're cute, ok? Geez."

Rory giggled at Jess's obvious discomfort. "You're cute when you get disgruntled." Now it was his turn to look surprised. Rory took advantage of his momentary stillness and leaned over to give him a one-arm hug. Unfortunately, the drugs the doctors had given her had messed up her equilibrium, and she fell off her stool. Jess caught her for the second time in as many days. The teens stood there, arms around each other, frozen in time. Jess was about to speak when Lorelai charged out of the kitchen holding Luke's hat above her head. 

"Hey, Rory, catch!" She was about to toss the hat when she saw Rory and Jess. "Oh." Luke exited the kitchen, grabbed his hat, and was about to speak to Lorelai when he also noticed Jess and Rory.

The bell over the door was knocked off its hook when Dean stormed into the diner. "Get your hands off of her!"

His statement snapped everyone out of their momentary tableaux. Rory and Jess stepped away from each other, the former blushing and the latter as cool as ever. Lorelai's arm dropped to her side as she continued to gape at her daughter. Luke cleared his throat and tried to hide his smile by ducking his head to put his hat on. Dean visibly seethed.

"Dean! Um, I fell off my stool, and Jess caught me." It was only half the story, but Rory decided that it wasn't vital for Dean to know the rest. "Otherwise I would have fallen. Again."

"Yeah, Jess has a real knack for being there at just the right time to catch you. How convenient."

"Dean, don't make a big deal out of this. Look, I'll fall on you next time, I promise." Rory reached out and took Dean's hand. Giving it a gentle squeeze, she waited until he looked her in the eye and then repeated, "I promise."

Dean found it impossible to stay mad. "Ok." Rory beamed up at him, then turned to Lorelai.

"Hey, Mom, can Dean and I hang out until I get tired?"

Before Lorelai could answer, Dean cut in. "Actually, some of us," he said, shooting a quick look at Jess, "have to go to school." 

Jess rolled his eyes at the dig and moved to the door. "Well, Luke, as Dean has so succinctly put it, we should get going." He grabbed his coat and opened the door, then waited. "Well? Are you coming or not?" he inquired of Dean.

"With you?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, we got along so well on Sunday, I thought we could exchange friendship charms on the way." Luke, Lorelai, and Rory looked confused, and Dean looked peeved. "Actually, never mind." Jess stepped through the door and shut it half way. Then, he turned back and addressed Rory. "Oh, by the way, the same goes for when you're flustered." He winked at her and exited, leaving her to deal with the cleanup.

"Um," she stalled as three pairs of eyes turned toward her, "Jess told me that my eyes get really big when I'm talking about Chaucer. Or any author, really. Or, books in general. Or poetry, or plays… you know. Reading stuff." She turned to Lorelai with a look of pleading on her face. "Mom, I'm starting to feel tired again. Could we go home?"

Lorelai got the idea. "Well, it's a good thing you didn't hang out with Dean, or you may just have fallen on him really soon." She turned her most charming smile on the tall teen. "Dean, shouldn't you get off to school?"

He looked at his watch. "Oh, yeah, I should go." He leaned down and dropped a kiss on Rory's forehead. "I'll see you later, ok?"

"Yeah. I'll call you when I'm awake again." She held Dean's hand as long as she could while he picked up his fallen backpack, then stood and began walking away. He too turned back at the door, but he only waved once before leaving the diner.

Rory's shoulders slumped as the turned back to Luke and Lorelai. She hadn't been too tired earlier, but she was now. All she wanted was to crawl back into bed and sleep for a day. Lorelai saw the exhaustion on her daughter's face and began moving. She grabbed her bag and keys from the chair she had been sitting on and put an arm around Rory, who leaned against her for support. "Bye, Luke!" she called over her shoulder.

"Yeah." He called back.

When the door closed behind them, Lorelai spoke again. "You definitely have some 'splaining to do, Lucy." 

Rory sighed. She couldn't hide anything from her mom. "Ok. Next time I'm awake." Lorelai began to protest, but decided to leave it alone. Rory was practically sleeping on her feet, and Lorelai had to decide what to wear to her parent-teacher thing in the afternoon. It could wait. Silence reigned as the women drove home.

-----

The next time Rory woke up, it was dark outside. She was still tired as usual, but decided that she had to get up and do something. She made some toaster waffles, and as they popped up, Lorelai came in, wearing a Spiderman shirt and plaid pyjama pants.

"Oh, waffles! I forgot we had those!" Lorelai opened the freezer and got two waffles for herself. "So, how do you feel? Should I call Dean?" She shot Rory a look that clearly expressed her desire for information. Rory sighed and put down her knife and fork.

"You want to know why I keep falling on Jess."

"Well, now that you mention it, yeah. What is up with that?"

"Maybe he secretes a falling pheromone that I really react to."

"Oooookee."

"Ok, fine, it's a dumb idea. But it makes just as much sense as any other explanation I could come up with. The first time I was dehydrated; the second time I was disoriented."

"Maybe next time you'll be decapitated. No, wait." Lorelai thought about that for a second. "Not decapitated."

"Thanks. I rather like having my head where it is."

"Me too."

Mother and daughter munched their waffles in companionable silence. Suddenly, Rory perked up. "How did the meeting go?"

Lorelai put down her fork and sat up straight. "At first it was a bit weird, cuz Max was there, but we both kindof decided to put all that history behind us and just focus on you. So, there are your books," she said, pointing to a pile on the counter in front of the coffee machine, "And there's a list of stuff to do- readings, questions, whatnot." Seeing the look of despair on Rory's face, she kept talking. "Now, in spite of the whole 'We are Chilton, we have no soul' thing, all that your teachers want is for you to get better. They don't mind if you can't do it all. All that stuff is for the whole next month. So just do what you can. You don't have to do any tests, and each of your teachers is assigning a classmate with really good penmanship to make a copy of their classroom notes. So you'll get the discussions and stuff."

The look of panic was fading from Rory's face. "So, I'm not getting kicked out of school?"

"Nope."

"Good." Having finished her waffle, Rory put her plate and silverware in the sink. "Mom, can we do something? I'm getting sick of my bedroom."

Lorelai looked at her daughter, contemplating if she was well enough to be doing any sort of activity. "Yeah, I guess so. What do you want to do?"

That made Rory pause. She wasn't really in a movie mood, all of the malls in Hartford would be closed by the time they got there… obviously there was only one option left. "Let's go to Luke's!" 

"Wow, you actually had to think about that?"

"For all of three seconds. I was dismissing other options first."

"So, Luke's was a second choice?"

"Mom. Luke's is never a second choice. It just wasn't the first choice."

"Therefore making it a second."

Rory sighed in exasperation. "I refuse to argue this with you. Let's go."

"Lemme finish my waffle." Lorelai shoved a full quarter of the Eggo into her mouth. "Ok."

Rory went to put some clothes on, but Lorelai looked at her own outfit and decided that it was safe to wear outside. Soon, they were on their way, talking and laughing as they usually did. 

-----

A/N= Ok, that ending isn't working the way I want it to, but I've been struggling with it for a while, and it's the best I can do. And, really, you all wanted a new chapter, and I want to move on to the next plot point, so I decided to just go with this. So. New chapters may be a little slower in coming, depending on how much homework I have (and how much I "forget" to do). Just warning you. 


	6. Wednesday

Chapter 6: Wednesday

Author's Note: I apologize a zillion times to everyone who has a vague memory of enjoying this story, but can't remember what has happened because it's been four months since I've updated. I am an abomination of huge proportions. I can only hope that the following chapter will appease you and perhaps allow you to forgive me for my utter lack of updating. The inspiration for this one comes as a result of watching three Jane Austen films and "The Count of Monte Cristo" in 24 hours. 

Summary: Rory has been diagnosed with mono, she keeps falling on Jess, and Luke and Lorelai have flirted. Now, on with the story.

-----

Rory looked around her. She was standing in a field of tall grass and wildflowers. The sky was an intense blue, and held small clouds and a fat yellow sun. As Rory turned around, she felt a small tug at her knees. Looking down she saw that her skirt was caught on a small thorn plant. Reaching down, she released the material, pricking herself in the process.

"Oh!" the soft exclamation came. A ruby drop of blood appeared on her pointer finger, and she quickly moved the injured digit to her mouth. 

"What is it, Miss Hayden?" Came a voice from her left. Looking over, Rory saw Dean, dressed in breeches and knee socks, a shirt, vest, and overcoat, and cravat. He was lying on a checked picnic blanket, reclining on his elbows, watching Rory with adoration radiating from his eyes.

"I have pricked myself on a thorn. It is nothing, Mr. Forrester."

"No, come here, let me look at it." Rory walked over to the oak tree that the blanket was under and knelt down beside Dean. She held out her hand, and he took it between his own and brought it near to his face. "It does not look deep, but perhaps we should have a doctor look at it."

Rory laughed gently. "It is nothing, I assure you. I cannot even feel it any more."

Dean bent slightly and placed a kiss on the end of Rory's finger. "Alright, darling, if you insist. But do be careful. You never know where there may be a thorn plant." 

"I will watch my step more carefully now, thank you. It is so sad that there must be thorn plants. Why cannot there be merely flowers and no thorns?" 

"Thorns are a part of life, my dear. Some prick more deeply than others, I fear." A note of disgruntlement entered Dean's tone as he said the last phrase. Rory knew that he was worried about a soldier that was residing in town, one Lieutenant Jess Mariano. A rakish officer, he had all of the single ladies, and some of the less-than-single ones, in a fluster. Dean's younger sister, Clara, had danced with Lieutenant Mariano at a party a week ago, and could speak of nothing else. Dean was worried for his sister's heart, and hoped that it wouldn't be broken when the regiment moved on. Reading the anxiety in the lines on Dean's forehead, Rory reached out to smooth the skin there.

"Do not worry about Clara. She is a sensible girl; when the regiment leaves, she will forget entirely Lieutenant Mariano." Rory smiled at Dean and waited for him to smile back before standing again. "I am going to go pick some flowers for Maman. She loves the flowers of early spring, and it gives me pleasure to see her happy. Lord knows she has had enough to be sad about of late." Rory's stepfather, Luke, had come down with a fever at the end of winter, and it had been a hard battle. He had nearly died, but Lorelai had nursed him back to health. Now, nearly two months later, he was still weak, but his condition improved daily. Rory thought about her parents as she moved through the field, looking for the prettiest flowers. Her mother had married young, against her parent's wishes, to a man named Christopher Hayden. Within two years, they had a daughter, who they named Lorelai, after her mother. A year later Christopher was killed in a duel by the husband of the woman he had been sleeping with. Lorelai, too ashamed to go back to her parents, moved into a small apartment in town, and made a living with the meager inheritance that she had come into with Christopher's death. All through this time, Luke Danes had been a friend to Lorelai, and would help her out however he could. In time, Lorelai had come to realize that Luke loved her, and that she loved him back. They were married when Rory was five, and had been completely happy with each other ever since. Luke had persuaded Lorelai to make amends with her parents, and was a better husband and father than Christopher had ever been.

With a smile, Rory looked at the bouquet in her hands. She had been picking flowers for nearly an hour, and the efforts she had made were obvious. Comprised mostly of white daisies, her mother's favourite, there were also hints of soft purples and pinks in Rory's flower basket. She had enough flowers to make a beautiful arrangement for Lorelai, so she turned around and began walking back to the tree where Dean was waiting patiently. 

Within half an hour, Rory knew that she was hopelessly lost. None of her surroundings looked familiar, and there were no buildings near by. Turning around slowly, Rory tried to gauge her position. The sun was moving west, but that was no help to her, because it had been full in the sky when she had left. However, Rory set out east – it seemed sensible to her, as she would likely reach some sort of civilization by moving in that direction. She walked for a considerable amount of time before spotting a building in the distance. Forgetting about her flowers, she began running towards the stone house. Soon she was on the grounds, and recognized them instantly. This was the Gardener household, and the two brothers who lived here often rented space to the militia. Lieutenant Mariano was staying here. Rory would have groaned if she had had the energy. As it was, she slowed to a walk so she wouldn't be out of breath when she approached the door. Before she was completely restored, however, she was greeted by a warm voice infused with a hint of laughter.

"Good afternoon, Miss Hayden. Paying a social visit?" 

Turning around, Rory nearly stepped on the toes of Lieutenant Mariano. Stumbling back two steps, Rory tried to collect herself. "Good afternoon, Lieutenant. I am sorry to say this is no social call. I was picnicking in yonder field," she explained with a wave of her hand in the direction of the field, "and decided to pick some flowers for my mother. I became lost, and have been looking for anything familiar for some hours. I was hoping that perhaps I could borrow a horse, now that I have my bearings, and go back to the tree and my picnicking partner." All through Rory's speech, Jess watched her with a slight smirk on his face. By the time she was finished speaking, Rory's face was flushed, and she looked down. When Lieutenant Mariano spoke, the laughing tone was still in his voice. 

"I am sorry to tell you that the Gardener brothers are not at home. They have gone into town for the day. They took the carriage with them, so my horse is the only one on the grounds at the moment. I would be happy to offer him to you, but for the fact that I need him myself, to ride into town as well. Unless, perhaps, you would like to ride with me into the village and move from there to your picnicking area…" 

Rory could sense that Jess was mocking her, but did not rise to the bait. Instead, she raised her chin defiantly and looked straight into the Lieutenant's eyes. "No thank you, Mr. Mariano. Now that I have my bearings, I believe I will walk. Thank you for your time." With that, Rory flounced off in the direction of the tree that Dean was hopefully still resting under. 

"Miss Hayden, wait." Rory ignored Jess's call. She began taking faster steps. "Miss Hayden, please stop." Rory again ignored the man, but was forced into submission when she stepped in a hole in the ground. As she fell, she heard and felt a pop in her left ankle. With a cry, she reached for her lower leg, but her skirts interfered. In an instant, Lieutenant Mariano was at her side.

"What happened?"

Rory whimpered in pain. "I stepped in a hole. I fear my ankle has twisted."

There was no mischief in Jess's voice when he spoke again, only grave concern. "May I look at it, to see if there is any damage?"

Rory nodded and bit her lower lip. Jess felt the bones of her ankle, and moved her foot gently up and down. When he tried to bend it towards the left, Rory cried out.

"I believe that you may have sprained your ankle quite badly, Miss Hayden. You will not be able to walk on it, but we must get you indoors. There is a storm brewing to the East, and I don't think my horse can carry both of us to town in time to outrun it. If you lean on me, we will walk up to the house, and I will go to town to fetch a doctor. Do you think you can manage it?" Rory nodded, and Jess helped her to stand. As soon as she put weight on her left foot, however, she nearly crumpled to the ground again. Only Jess's quick reflexes prevented a fall. He had wrapped an arm around her waist for stability, and now had both arms around her to keep her upright. The last thought to cross Rory's mind before she fainted was that Lieutenant Mariano had green eyes, and that it was not entirely unpleasant to be in his arms.

-----

When Rory awoke, she was being carried inside. Her head rested against Jess's shoulder and her arm was around his neck. Almost at the instant that she realized the situation, she felt herself being lowered onto a chaise. She shivered as Lieutenant Mariano moved away, and she was no longer close to his warmth. He knelt beside her and looked into her eyes as he spoke. 

"Are you comfortable?" Almost as soon as he asked the question, Jess realized how inane it was. "I mean, would you like some tea or a book to read while I go into town?" At Rory's negative head-shake, he stood. "Alright. I shall set out immediately, and hope to return within the hour with a doctor." With that, he strode quickly from the room. Now Rory allowed herself to cry. Tears ran down her face unchecked as she wallowed in misery. Ten minutes later, she wiped her face with the back of her hand and sniffled one last time. Her ankle was throbbing and her head hurt as well. Thunder rolled overhead. Suddenly, the door opened and Lieutenant Mariano came in, sopping wet, followed by and equally drenched doctor.

"Miss Hayden, you are lucky. I was just returning to town from a call when your Lieutenant rode up as though the Devil himself was chasing his horse. 'Good Doctor,' he said to me, 'you must come to the Gardener residence. Miss Hayden has injured her ankle.' So, I turned right around and came back with him. Now, if you will allow me." He knelt down and felt Rory's ankle just as Jess had done. Rory never even had time to refute the claim that Jess was 'Her Lieutenant" before she again cried out in pain as her foot was bent to the left. 

"Mr. Mariano, you were correct. Miss Hayden has a sprained ankle." Turning to look at the young man, he continued. "She must stay off her feet for at least two days." Now he looked at Rory. "I am afraid, Miss Hayden, that you must stay here until Saturday. And you will have to miss the dance at the Chesterton residence. I am sorry."

Rory was not nearly as sorry as the doctor was about the last statement. The Chestertons always threw incredibly boring parties. However, not being able to go home for two days was a problem. "But, Doctor, I must go home. My mother and step-father will worry. I am already far later than I said I would be; I must return as soon as possible."

"And you will. The very soonest that you may return is Saturday, and that is final. I will inform your parents of your situation." The doctor began repacking his medical bag. "Now, Lieutenant, please make sure that Miss Hayden does not move any more than is absolutely necessary. I know that this is inconvenient for you and the Gardeners, but it must be done. Good day." In eight quick strides he was outside again.

An awkward silence followed the doctor's exit. Rory and Jess were unable to look at each other, and focused on walls, feet, tables; anything but each other. The uncomfortable quiet was broken when Jess sneezed. 

"Lieutenant Mariano, you should go change into drier clothes. If you fall ill, we will be in quite a desperate situation. I'm dreadfully sorry for all of this…" Rory gestured at her ankle and frowned. 

"No, I am sorry. If I had been more courteous, we would not be in this situation."

Rory wanted to agree with Jess, but she was a better person than that. She would just have to maintain her cool for the duration of her stay. She sighed heavily. Saturday seemed very far away indeed. 

-----

Rory spent the next two days at the Gardener's house. Lieutenant Mariano proved to be quite a gracious host, and Rory found herself enjoying his company. He read to her some of Shakespeare's sonnets, and she discovered that he had quite a lovely voice. One time, he had looked up in the middle of a verse and smiled at her, and Rory's heart had skipped a beat. She lowered her head, blushing, and tried to convince herself that she was merely reacting to the lovely words of Sonnet 116, but she knew deep down that she was becoming attracted to the young Lieutenant. Many of the town's men dismissed Lieutenant Mariano as a rogue and a skirt-chaser, but as Rory listened to his ideas and how he worded them, she began to understand that underneath his suave exterior was a truly kind and intelligent man. Her initial encounter with him was all but forgotten by Saturday afternoon when Lorelai and Luke came in their carriage to pick up Rory and take her home.

After Rory was bundled into the carriage and Lorelai and Luke were expressing their thanks to the Gardener brothers, Jess came over to the vehicle and handed Rory his book of sonnets.

"I am awfully sorry about your ankle, and I wanted you to have this. I know most of the poems by heart, and you seemed to enjoy them." Rory reached out, and as she took the book, her fingers met Jess's, and a tingle ran up her arm and down her spine. Their eyes met, and Jess lifted Rory's hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on the backs of her fingers. Rory couldn't stop herself from visibly shivering at the contact. As Jess stood back up, he smiled at her, bowed slightly, released her hand, and turned and walked away. Rory sat staring at him until Lorelai and Luke came back to the carriage, and they set on their way.

When they arrived home, Rory was situated in her room, and the servants were ordered to look after her every whim. The first thing Rory told them to do was to leave her in peace unless she called for them. She wanted time to think about what had happened over the last two days. At the beginning, she had thought that she loved Dean Forrester, but she was beginning to realize that he was like an older brother to her. There was no excitement in the relationship. Her mother would call Dean a stable man, but Rory was beginning to see him as boring and extremely dull. Lieutenant Mariano, on the other hand, was captivating. Rory smiled as she ran her finger over the embossed cover of the book of sonnets. As she opened the book, a folded piece of paper fell out of it. Curious, she set the book down and unfolded the paper. On it was written, in Jess's neat cursive, a poem. Rory held it up to the light and began reading.

Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling. Do you feel my heart beating, do you understand? Do you feel the same; am I only dreaming? Is this burning an eternal flame? I believe it's meant to be, darling. I watch you when you are sleeping - you belong with me - do you feel the same? Or am I only dreaming? Or is this burning an eternal flame? Say my name, sun shines through the rain. My whole life so lonely, but you come and ease the pain. I don't want to lose this feeling, love. Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling. Do you feel my heart beating, do you understand? Do you feel the same; am I only dreaming? Is this burning an eternal flame?

Rory's eyes filled with tears as she finished the poem. Had Jess written this for someone? Had he written it for her? She had to know.

"Edmond! Please bring me some paper and a quill and ink." Rory smiled as she folded the poem and placed it inside the book of poetry. It marked the page that Sonnet 116 was on. She would write a letter to Jess, and let her words answer the question in his poem.

-----

Rory opened her eyes and looked around her. She was in her pyjamas on her bed. The blankets were bundled down around her feet, and Lorelai was standing over her, looking confused.

"Rory? Are you alright? You were singing Bangles in your sleep."

Rory rubbed her eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine. It was just a dream." 


	7. Saturday II

A/N: Ok, I'm back again with another apology. I'm sorry that it's taken me this long to get this chapter up, but I was in the second semester mainstage, and then I had exams, and then I had to run the house while my mom was in the hospital… Anyway, I'm finally on summer break, and I promise that I'll keep plugging away at this story until I'm happy with it. So here's the latest chapter – hope you like it.

Summary: Rory has mono. Luke/Lorelai friendly, Jess/Rory friendly (but I'm not sure if they'll actually get together or not). In the last chapter, Rory had a trippy Jane Austen dream. From here on in, I'm not going to be going day-by-day, so there will be about a week passing between the chapters. This time, a week and a half has passed. 

Chapter 7: Saturday

On Saturday morning, Rory woke up feeling strangely fine. Her body was relaxed and it felt somewhat renewed – not like her usual continual exhaustion. A quick glance at her clock told her that it was nearly a quarter after eleven. Seeing four ones in a row the digital face made her quickly close her eyes again and make a quick wish in her head. This done, she sat up and pushed the blankets off her lap. She would make the most of the time she had. And the first thing that would have to happen was a shower. Rory pulled on her robe and made her way to the bathroom, only to hear the sound of running water as she neared the room. Momentarily put out at Lorelai for stealing the shower before she could, Rory quickly got over the feeling and went back to her room. She knew that Lorelai could be in the bathroom for at least half an hour, so she booted up her laptop and opened her Societies textbook to the assigned reading. She'd answer questions until the bathroom was available.

-----

Rory had just typed the answer to the last question her teacher had assigned for the week when she heard the bathroom door creak open, and the unmistakable padding of Lorelai's bare feet coming down the hall. A soft knock on the door preceded Lorelai's entrance into Rory's bedroom. Rory smiled at her mother, who had a pink towel wrapped around her head and a shocked look on her face.

"Surprise! I'm up."

"Well, paint me purple and call me Morton. So you are." Lorelai's surprise quickly left and was replaced with a sense of purpose. "Alright, how much energy do you have?"

Rory did a mental check-up of her body. She wasn't as relaxed as she had been earlier, but she wasn't completely fatigued, either. "I think I can get some work done today. I'm already done my Societies assignment, and I'd like to finish off those Trig equations before I get too zonked again."

Lorelai pulled a face at the idea of spending a perfect October Saturday doing math, but soon brightened up. "Ok, well, here's some trig to start you off: If Train A is headed for station Bathroom and Train B is headed for station Luke's, and station Bathroom is fifteen feet away and station Luke's is about 5 miles away, how long will it take Train A to wash her hair?"

"Mom, that question makes no sense, and it's not even trigonometry. But, I will keep my shower short, and by the time you get back from Luke's, I should be out. Maybe."

Lorelai beamed at her daughter. "All those brains and gorgeous, too. I'll be back in two shakes of a doggie-on-a-dashboard head." Lorelai left Rory's room and would have gone straight to Luke's if Rory hadn't called out to remind her that maybe she should blow-dry her hair, or at least lose the towel, before showing herself in public. After quickly scrunching her hair in the towel, Lorelai threw it into a braid – she'd let it air dry – and threw on jeans and a red shirt. As she left the house, she heard the shower running.

As Lorelai started the Jeep, a smile crossed her face. She knew that Rory had work to do, but Lorelai had a better idea for the day. She backed out of the driveway quickly and headed in to town. It seemed that all the stars had aligned on this particular day, because there was an open parking spot right in front of Luke's. The bell jingled happily as Lorelai breezed through the door, and surprisingly, there were only three customers in the diner.

"Hey, Luke!" The man looked up and half-smiled at Lorelai. He couldn't help himself; her energy was contagious. It was good to see her smiling after so many days of worry and rushed meals. "I need your help with something. Please?"

"I refuse to participate in anything illegal, but aside from that, I'll do what I can. What do you need?"

"A lobotomy and some tights." At Luke's confused look, Lorelai waved her hand in the air. "The Breakfast Club was on TBS last night. I swear, when that movie came out, I looked exactly like Molly Ringwald, except for the red hair, and the fact that I was pregnant. Minor details. Anyway, I need a thermos full of coffee… no, make that two, and two cheeseburgers and – no wait, those will get cold and the lettuce will wilt… Ok, I need two orders of pancakes to go, four donuts, also to go, and throw together some sandwiches, please. To go."

Luke was quickly jotting all of this information down. "What kind of sandwiches?"

"Um, what tastes best?"

"Tomato, lettuce, and cheese on sourdough."

"Great, then I'll have tomato, lettuce, bacon, and cheese on white. With lots of mayo. And could you slice them in triangles and put those fancy crinkle-top toothpicks in them? The coloured ones?"

Luke cast a weary glance at Lorelai. "I don't have those toothpicks. Will regular ones do?"

Lorelai pouted, then brightened up. "No, it's ok, I'll pop over to Doose's and pick some up. Do you have a basket and a picnic blanket?"

"Yeah, but they're buried under the crinkle-top toothpicks." The sarcasm was obvious. "Although…"

"Although what? C'mon, tell me!"

"I might still have the basket that I bought during that stupid basket auction."

"Hey, that basket was darn good."

"Yeah, the basket was ok. The food inside would have given a health inspector reason to throw you in jail, but the basket itself wasn't edible, which means it has likely managed to survive in the back of my closet." 

"Well, I don't know whether to feel warm and fuzzy that you know exactly where the basket is, or insulted because you just threw it into your closet."

With a sharp exhalation of breath, Luke put down his order pad. "Look, do you want my help or not?"

Lorelai's face took on a more serious look. "I do want your help. Thank you, Luke. You always help me when I need you. Need it, that is… need help. You always help me when I need help. You know, help is a really funny word. And a great Beatles song." 

"Lorelai… go get your crinkle-top toothpicks. I'll have your food ready soon."

With a quick smile, Lorelai turned and left the diner, and Luke went into the kitchen, humming 'Help'.

A few minutes later, Lorelai returned, clutching a box of toothpicks in her right hand. "Luke, can you put one colour in each triangle? There are red, green, blue, and yellow toothpick crinkle-toppers, and I want each triangle to be a different colour. You know, four triangles, four colours." 

Luke rolled his eyes, but took the box of toothpicks and soon returned with three styrofoam takeout trays. "Now, don't just leave these sitting around. They're not good for the environment; I don't even know why I have them here."  
Lorelai solemnly agreed to take the trays back home and wash them out before putting them in the recycling. She was halfway out the door when she remembered about the picnic basket. "Oh, hey, Luke, I forgot… can I just grab the picnic basket out of your closet?"

Luke, who was now busy taking an order, nodded distractedly, and Lorelai set down her trays before going upstairs. Suddenly Luke's eyes widened as he remembered that Jess would likely be waking up soon. His worries were soon put aside as he heard a yell from inside his apartment, followed by what sounded like a body hitting the floor. He quickly slapped the order down on the counter behind him, ordered Caesar to take care of things, and ran upstairs. Opening the door to his apartment, he nearly ran into Lorelai, who was standing one foot away from the door with her hands covering her eyes. Facedown on the ground half a room away, lay Jess, clad only in boxer shorts. Hearing movement at the door, the teen looked up, pushed himself off the floor, and stalked back into his bedroom with a look of absolute disgust on his face.

"Lorelai, I'm sorry; I forgot that Jess sleeps until about now on Saturdays."

"Yaaaaaaah. I will never, ever, ever be able to erase that picture from my mind. It may very well be the last thing I think of before I die. I always thought that my last thought would be something like, wow, it's shiny up there, but now I know it'll be, wow, Jess has white little chicken legs. Thanks a lot, Luke."

Luke looked down, hiding a small smile, and scratched the back of his neck. "Sorry. I'm really sorry, Lorelai." His voice, however, betrayed him, as a hint of laughter was shot through his apology. 

Lorelai turned around and glared at Luke through chinks in her "protective eyewear"; holes she made by separating her fingers so they formed a diamond around her eyes. This struck the already laughing man as hilarious – Lorelai looked slightly like a tall, angry raccoon. A grin quirked the corners of his mouth, and Luke began laughing, quietly at first, and then louder. Soon he was doubled over, gasping for breath, and Lorelai was giggling, too.

"Lorelai… you look… the look on your face… oh, I wish I had a camera."

"Never, for as long as I live… I have never seen legs that scrawny and white! Never!" 

Their laughter ended abruptly as Jess opened his door with a bag, grabbed his coat, and angrily shoved between them and tromped down the stairs. When the bell over the diner door chimed, and they heard the door slam, Lorelai and Luke glanced at each other and began laughing again.

A minute later, Luke had fetched the basket from the back of his closet, and Lorelai put the takeout trays in it. She had remembered that there was a blanket at home that she could use, so in two minutes she was on her way back to get Rory. She put the basket behind the passenger's seat and ran into the house. She found Rory in her room, working on a Trigonometry problem.

"Hey, kiddo, put down your pencil. We're leaving."

"What? But Mom, I have to get this done!"

"Ok, fine, take it with you. Just quit working on it now, put on a coat and shoes, and let's go."

"Where are we going?"

Lorelai grinned. "Wouldn't you like to know?" She held up a head kerchief. "It's a surprise. You'll have to trust me."

Rory looked at her books and sighed. She really should stay inside until all of her work was done, but the prospect of getting out of the house for an hour or two was really tempting. "Alright, I'll leave my work here. But don't let me go to sleep until I've finished this assignment." 

"Augh, I could do your homework for you; no one would be the wiser."

"No, we write our two's differently, the teacher would know in a second."

"Spoilsport. You never let me do anything fun." At Rory's quizzical look, Lorelai amended her thought. "Not that Trig is fun, but in a hypothetical perfect world, it would be. Come on; stop dallying. Coat, shoes, bandana over eyes, and we're ready to go."

-----

Lorelai drove around for fifteen minutes to confuse Rory, and then pulled into the driveway of the Independence Inn. After parking the Jeep, Lorelai grabbed the blanket and basket out of the back seat, and then went to help Rory out of the Jeep. The teen still had the bandana over her eyes, so Lorelai led her. They followed a small path for five minutes before Lorelai stopped them. 

"Now… I think it's somewhere around here." She let go of Rory's arm and began pushing aside tree branches at the edge of the path. "Aha! I knew it." Going back to her daughter's side, she gently pulled Rory to the left and parted the branches again. "Ok, Rory, you have to walk slowly as I direct you." 

Rory nodded and licked her lips. "I don't like these trust games. The last time I played a trust game was in Miss Patty's beginner ballet class, when you have to fall into your partner's arms… I couldn't sit for a week." 

Lorelai grinned at the memory of a six-year-old Rory walking around with a pillow tied to her butt. "Oh, but the pillow. That was worth all of it."

"I'm so glad that my pain brings you happiness." Rory scoffed. "Now, tell me what to do."

"Slide your left foot forward… little more… good. Now right foot, up and over the bump. That's it. Step, step, and then slide with the left again."

"This is starting to sound like ballet lessons again. I don't think I like it."

"Don't worry, you shouldn't fall down if you listen to me. Now, right arm up, cuz there's a branch right at face level. Push that aside, and take two steps." Lorelai followed Rory into a small clearing. "Ok, you can take off the bandana."

Rory did so, and a smile crossed her face as she looked around. "I love this place. I used to play princess here when I was little. I wore that pink dress you made me and I made up princes with names like Frederick and Hobbisan and daydreamed that they came on white horses to rescue me. They always rescued you, too."

Lorelai smiled at the anecdote. "Well, you've got a prince named Dean now… Not quite as fantastic as Hobbisan, but hey, you just don't see many Hobbisans anymore. Especially on white horses." As Lorelai spoke she moved further into the clearing and set the basket on the ground. The grass was damp; the sun wasn't warm enough to completely get rid of the early-October frost, but it had turned into water droplets and was slowly evapourating. Lorelai unfolded the blanket until it was only folded in half. She figured that this would prevent the wetness from seeping into her and Rory's clothes. Moving quickly she set the basket in the middle of the blanket and motioned for Rory to sit down. "Your dinner, madam." With a flourish, she unpacked the trays that held their breakfasts. "I got pancakes. They might be a bit cold, but they should still taste good, right?" Rory nodded in the affirmative, and she and Lorelai tucked into their meals. Once the pancakes were gone (washed down with coffee from one of the thermoses) Lorelai pulled out the sandwiches and handed one to Rory. She watched as her daughter's eyes widened at the sight of the fancy toothpicks. 

"Did Luke have these?"

"No, I went and got them. Aren't they cool?"

"They're fun! I like 'em." Rory bit into a triangle. "I think they make the sandwich taste better." 

Lorelai laughed. "I'll tell Luke. I'm sure he'll be thrilled that his sandwiches are improved by little splinters of wood with plastic on the tips." Rory giggled in response, and the women continued eating. After the sandwiches, they ate the donuts and drank the rest of the coffee, then flopped onto the blanket and watched the clouds sail overhead. Rory pointed out one that looked like her math teacher, and Lorelai found one that looked like a man on a horse. Soon they got up and went back to the Jeep. They drove home, where Rory managed to finish all but three of her Trig equations before going back to bed. As promised, Lorelai washed out the trays and put them into the recycling bin before settling down on the couch to watch 'The Princess Bride.' Rory woke up in time to see Inigo Montoya get his revenge, and he, Fezzik, Buttercup, and Westley ride off into the sunset.

"You wanted to see someone get rescued and ride away on a white horse, didn't you, Mom?"

Lorelai smiled sadly. "Yeah, I did."

Rory nodded and rested her head on her mother's shoulder. "I wonder if Luke would repaint his truck."

Lorelai craned her head around awkwardly to look at her daughter's face. "Why would Luke repaint his truck?"

Rory shrugged and replied, "I don't know." But as Lorelai turned to watch the end of the movie, a small smile crossed Rory's face. A plan was forming itself in her head, and she'd put it into action as soon as she could.

A/N: Alrighty… There's your new chapter. Now, all I have to do is figure out what exactly to do with Luke and Lorelai. I literally have no idea what will happen. I hate that I'm resorting to this, but if you have an idea of how to get the two of them out on a date, please email them to me at heybinder@hotmail.com. Thanks for your patience with me, and please keep waiting. I promise, I will finish this story this summer.


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